"Figure 2.3: Entry clearance visas granted (excluding visitor and transit visas), by world area, UK, 2005 to year ending March 2015","" "","" "","" "Notes","1. A small number (1 to 2 thousand per year excluding visitor and transit visas) of Home Office visas cannot be ascribed to a world area and are categorised as “Other”. This category does not appear in the above chart. 2. European Economic Area (EEA) nationals do not require a visa to enter the UK, however see p 34 of User Guide to Home Office Immigration Statistics for exceptions (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/user-guide-to-home-office-immigration-statistics--9). 3. See the Glossary in the link below for discussion of world regions and differences between Home Office and DWP definitions (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2014)." "Unit","Visas issued (thousands)" "","" "Year","South Asia","Rest of Asia","Middle East","Europe","Africa","Americas","Oceania and Australasia" "YE Dec 2005","146.100","118.709","25.941","79.745","99.370","65.540","48.963" "YE Mar 2006","150.321","120.185","26.240","83.570","97.410","65.810","47.046" "YE Jun 2006","153.829","120.115","26.669","87.575","93.147","65.326","48.247" "YE Sep 2006","162.248","127.341","28.076","89.014","93.331","66.108","48.262" "YE Dec 2006","167.310","128.431","28.732","89.116","92.716","67.224","48.267" "YE Mar 2007","172.759","129.700","29.176","83.986","90.871","68.639","49.694" "YE Jun 2007","170.276","127.621","29.285","77.417","89.143","68.625","47.258" "YE Sep 2007","166.060","129.029","30.393","75.373","86.885","70.016","45.243" "YE Dec 2007","160.462","129.635","31.106","71.832","85.608","70.643","42.390" "YE Mar 2008","155.976","128.315","34.046","66.723","84.590","70.583","37.901" "YE Jun 2008","154.975","130.045","36.517","54.140","84.946","71.366","35.915" "YE Sep 2008","154.944","133.287","41.320","52.049","89.356","72.751","35.468" "YE Dec 2008","154.684","131.980","44.298","52.109","89.836","73.917","35.589" "YE Mar 2009","154.047","128.372","47.295","51.636","85.841","73.359","35.392" "YE Jun 2009","151.357","123.183","45.419","47.234","78.612","69.616","33.564" "YE Sep 2009","172.753","134.973","44.152","42.532","74.054","68.280","31.632" "YE Dec 2009","208.873","134.180","44.023","41.318","70.378","67.000","30.110" "YE Mar 2010","219.550","135.449","40.829","40.289","69.841","67.053","29.462" "YE Jun 2010","225.534","136.829","40.044","41.727","72.144","70.054","28.753" "YE Sep 2010","218.324","142.627","41.264","42.781","72.063","70.620","29.130" "YE Dec 2010","197.417","143.244","40.492","42.795","72.577","70.107","28.795" "YE Mar 2011","208.181","143.850","41.725","43.762","72.139","69.628","28.475" "YE Jun 2011","211.320","151.116","43.121","43.844","69.014","68.108","28.392" "YE Sep 2011","193.773","153.341","41.293","46.609","63.541","67.040","27.587" "YE Dec 2011","175.970","150.205","40.264","45.211","58.972","64.999","27.809" "YE Mar 2012","148.474","149.316","38.672","45.042","57.561","62.946","26.612" "YE Jun 2012","134.950","153.988","38.001","46.202","57.428","62.689","25.658" "YE Sep 2012","124.874","155.614","39.091","43.549","57.352","61.835","24.784" "YE Dec 2012","121.643","156.771","39.903","44.385","58.062","61.609","24.074" "YE Mar 2013","116.495","154.416","40.315","43.881","57.768","62.339","23.263" "YE Jun 2013","113.611","154.943","41.003","46.407","58.039","62.870","23.650" "YE Sep 2013","112.594","167.408","44.096","48.855","61.012","66.412","24.932" "YE Dec 2013","111.880","168.893","45.500","48.873","62.420","68.057","25.410" "YE Mar 2014","115.104","169.791","46.688","49.291","63.377","67.180","25.058" "YE Jun 2014","116.749","168.843","46.834","46.010","64.727","67.944","26.290" "YE Sep 2014","116.856","173.487","47.724","44.104","64.326","69.166","26.580" "YE Dec 2014","119.903","174.794","47.750","44.078","62.224","68.939","27.376" "YE Mar 2015","119.203","174.574","46.720","42.558","60.566","69.606","29.450"